Maybe it’s just me, but when yoga pants and workout leggings became fashionable sportswear years ago, I wasn’t thinking about how good my butt looked in them. My main thought was, wow, finally workout pants that aren’t bulky and don’t hold on to all the sweat I’ve shed during yoga or spin class. Instead of making a beeline for the showers, I was comfortable enough to run a few errands and pick up a coffee before heading home to wash up. What I wear is not driven by an express purpose to look good for men, so naively I was a little intrigued to realize men absolutely love seeing women in yoga pants. Asking astute workout and yoga pant observers such as my husband and friends’ boyfriends, as well as reading comments online, I’ve pulled together a little outline of why it seems men like yoga pants on women.

• Our butts look fabulous. This may seem obvious and, no, not all yoga pants are created equal, but the good, high-quality workout pants do us some favors. The second-skin supportive design lifts, shapes and contours our booty until it sits nice, sculpted and held in place for exercise and … for our men to see.
• Curves are perfectly showcased. In the same way our rear end becomes perfectly molded, so does the rest of our lower half. Thighs are streamlined, muscles show and hips are accentuated while the sleek, form-fitting pants taper down to our naked ankles, providing curvaceous eye candy for the onlooker.
• Things are close but not too close. It may be the tight weave and ultra-thin layered fabric that gets the guys’ blood pumping. Merely the idea that a very minimal barrier separates our nakedness from them gets their imaginations working.
• Suggests we are adventurous. Whether you’re wearing your yoga pants to the hair salon or are actually going to a yoga class or for a run, the outfit still suggests you’re an active gal, not afraid of a challenge and are fit enough to accomplish it. A guy sees this and thinks suddenly of hiking up a trail with a woman as perfectly dressed as yourself leading the way.
• Reflects a confident personality. It’s no secret that men tend to be attracted to assertive women and wearing fitted yoga pants reflects this personality trait. Holding your head high and graciously ignoring all the glances towards your backside as you wear what makes you feel good and comfortable is the epitome of confidence.

While I’m sure none of this will have any effect on whether you continue wearing yoga pants or not, because like me, I wear what I like, not necessarily what men like me to wear, it still provides some interesting insight into the male psyche. It was certainly enlightening to learn exactly how far their minds will wander over something as simply routine and useful to us women as wearing yoga pants.